Crash and Burn
by TheArchives
Summary: (Serious fic) SasuNaru. Sasuke returns after three years in Sound, and renews his friendship with Naruto. Realizing that his friend isn't well, he finally finds the words that Naruto needs to hear. COMPLETE.
1. I

Crash and Burn

By: Clever Audrey

Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto at all. That honor would belong to Kishimoto-sama.

Rating: PG-13ish

Warnings: SasuNaru. **Shounen-ai.** Angst. **There will be enough WAFF to give you cavities** - keep your toothbrushes handy, kids. Probable OOCness at times.

AN: Set at the end of the 3-year jump, so I'm obviously making all this up.

I.

Uchiha Sasuke stood in the middle of the room, breathing heavily, sword unsheathed in one hand. Replaying the sparring match in his mind, he finally nodded to his teacher, satisfied. The man bowed and left the room.

From a darker corner, Orochimaru grinned. "Excellent, Sasuke-kun, as usual."

"Hn." Sasuke walked closer to a lamp to examine the blade of his sword.

"Are you feeling prepared, then?" Orochimaru continued, his tone measuring.

The Uchiha teen half-turned. "For what?"

The snake-man smirked, his eyes both wary and eager as he watched for Sasuke's reaction. "For our upcoming attack on Konoha."

Dull black eyes met Orochimaru's slit-pupiled ones as his student of the past three years turned to face him fully. "Konoha…" Sasuke repeated the name slowly, almost curiously, as though just remembering the village's existence. He was silent for a long moment, then nodded slowly, turning back to the window. "Yes…yes I am prepared…."

"Excellent," Orochimaru murmured, letting his eyes linger on the tall, black-clad figure bathed in the dim golden lamp-light. "Sasuke-kun. Then, I will tell Kabuto to-"

"No," Sasuke interrupted thoughtfully, as though he hadn't even heard Orochimaru's words. "No, I'm not fully prepared."

"What?" Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.

"I've never yet thanked you."

"Thanked me?" Orochimaru's eyebrows went up as Sasuke turned to face him again. He barely contained his eagerness at the look on the beautiful teen's face – anticipation, and more heat in the dark eyes than the exiled shinobi had ever seen…he had decided against forcing his desires on the boy, but if Sasuke would come to him willingly…. "Thanked me for what?"

The older man licked his lips as Sasuke crossed the room to stand in front of him, the heat in his onyx eyes deepening. "For taking me away from that place…" His left hand went up to gently touch Orochimaru's face, fingers slipping into his hair. The man shivered. Sasuke let a hint of a smile touch his lips as he leaned down and lowered his voice even more. "For taking me away from _him_…so here's your thanks…"

_Him? _Was all Orochimaru had time to think before the hand in his hair tightened, as Sasuke's eyes hardened and his voice changed. "Here's your thanks – you sick bastard."

Orochimaru barely had time to register shock and rage before the sword still in Sasuke's right hand came up and cleanly swept his head from his shoulders.

Sasuke stood very still, drenched in blood, still tightly gripping both his sword and Orochimaru's head. "Finally…" he whispered to the silent, darkening room.

But the runaway of Konoha knew that he couldn't linger. The trip out of Sound would be much, much more difficult if he was discovered before he got at least a little ways away.

Going to his own room down the hall, he tossed the head into a bag, quickly threw on fresh clothes, cleaned and sheathed his sword before gathering up his remaining possessions. There weren't many – mostly extra kunai and shuriken. Then, activating the Sharingan, he slipped out of Orochimaru's compound as silently and quickly as he knew how.

He didn't have long – Kabuto would be coming to check on his master soon – but Sasuke thought it would be enough. Without their leader, Sound would be floundering for a while. If he could only get back over the border…Sasuke shook his head. There wasn't time for "ifs."

Resettling his pack, Sasuke struck out into the night, down a road he'd never thought to walk again.

* * *

Tsunade sighed at the stack of reports still waiting on her desk. This was so annoying…why had she taken this job again? 

"Oi, Tsunade-obaachan!" Came a loud voice from the door.

Oh. Right. For that obnoxious, disrespectful, loud-mouthed little boy – who wasn't a little boy anymore. "Come in, and be quiet!" the Godaime called out, sighing again.

"Eheheh." Uzumaki Naruto, now a splitting image of the Yondaime, charged in and plopped himself down on the edge of her desk, his ANBU mask dangling from one hand, the short staff strapped to his back knocking into the stacked papers and scattering them.

"Naruto!" Tsunade yelled, even more annoyed.

"Heh. Sorry, Tsunade-obaachan." At least the little annoyance had the respect to look sheepish. Then he grinned, spoiling the image.

Tsunade growled, gathering the papers gingerly, gladly taking the excuse not to look at the boy. She couldn't stand to see that grin anymore…not when it was barely a shadow of the one he used to have.

Sighing yet again, the current Hokage looked back just in time to catch a flash of the emptiness in Naruto's eyes as he dropped the smile. But it was gone instantly, so fast she would have thought she'd imagined it – if she hadn't seen it there before. Heart aching for the boy who had grown to be both younger brother and son to her, she wished desperately for something to make that emptiness go away, knowing all the while that there was nothing she could do.

The only thing that could fill that particular hole in Naruto's heart was years and miles away. Shoving down her anger, Tsunade finally realized that she didn't know why Naruto was there at all. It was getting late, too.

"Naruto, what did you need? And why are you in uniform?" the Hokage frowned at the blond boy. "I told you, Naruto – at _least_ two weeks rest before I let you go on any more missions!"

"But Tsunade-obaaachaaaan," he whined, a perfect mimicry of his younger self, except that his voice had really deepened too much for that. "I want-"

"I know that you want more missions, Naruto, but I can't say yes. You're doing too much. You work yourself to the point of collapse, take _maybe_ two days of rest, and then you're back here asking for more missions. You can't keep doing this to yourself!"

"I heal fast-"

"That's not the point!" Tsunade slammed her fist down hard on the desk, startling him. "Yes, your body heals quickly, but your mind-"

"Is fine!" Naruto interrupted, a little too loud, a little too fast.

_No. No, it's not…not your head or your heart…._ Fighting back the sudden urge to pull Naruto into her arms and sob, she merely frowned at him instead. "No, Naruto. Not this time. Go home. Sleep. That is your order from your Hokage – your mission."

"I can go home, Tsunade-obaachan, but I won't sleep. Please," he gave her puppy-dog eyes. "please let me do something?"

And Tsunade glared at him, angry at him for doing this, and angry at herself for always giving in. And she did always give in – not because of the eyes, or the calculated pout. It was because of his voice. Because no matter how good he was at covering it, whenever he came asking for more missions, his voice was always underlined with panic….

"All right," she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "All right, Naruto." Reluctantly, she picked out a paper from another stack on her desk and handed it to him.

"Yatta!" He yelled, jumping up and dancing toward the door. "I'll be careful, Tsunade-obaachan! Don't worry!" Then he was gone, the door closing noisily behind him.

_Gods help me…_Tsunade thought, slumping forward and burying her face in her hands. _Gods help _him

_

* * *

_  
Sasuke sailed over the rooftops of Konoha, pushing away the memories that had assaulted him as soon as he'd crossed the wall into the city. He had to focus on his objective now.

He stopped a couple of roofs away from the Hokage's tower. Red eyes scanned the building, looking for the protections and guards he knew must be there. _I just have to get into her office._ Making sure neither the pack nor the sword strapped to his back would make any noise, he jumped the last two roofs forward, then leaped down, heading at a dead run, as fast as he could go, for the wall. He stopped, silent, in its shadow. From there, he jumped straight up, catching lightly onto the sill of an open window he'd seen from the roof. When no alarms sounded, and his Sharingan could not detect the presence of anything else, Sasuke flipped up and neatly through the window, landing soundlessly in the darkened hallway.

He straightened cautiously, eyes scanning the darkness, both to check for obstacles and to orient himself. He'd never been in the Tower much before he left, and his memories had faded over the years. Still, he knew he had to go up, so he followed the curve of the hall until he came to a stairway.

The ex-prodigy of Konoha climbed through the darkened stairs and halls, suppressing his chakra and blending with the shadows to slip past the guards stationed throughout the building. Finally he reached the large double doors that he knew to be the entrance to the Hokage's chambers. A faint light burned under the door, and Sasuke could sense with his Sharingan that there was only one person inside at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, Sasuke reached out and turned the knob on one of the doors, slipping inside as it opened silently, closing it behind him again. He was surprised to find the Fifth Hokage of Konoha awake – it was still night outside, in those blackest hours that come before the dawn.

Tsunade looked up from her reading only when the door clicked almost inaudibly back into place, the look on her face promising a scolding to whoever had dared interrupt her.

Then she saw who her visitor was, and her eyes widened.

Before she could say a word, though, Sasuke was across the room, pulling a bag out of his pack, and standing calmly in front of the desk, no expression on his pale face.

"Hokage-sama," he whispered, tossing the bag onto the desk, and reaching around to take the sword, still sheathed, off his back.

Tsunade's eyes widened even more as the bag fell open and Orochimaru's head, tongue lolling grotesquely, was revealed. She gasped, and quickly covered mouth and nose with her hand before closing the bag, sealing both the horrific sight and smell back inside.

She raised her eyes once again to regard Sasuke suspiciously. "What does this mean?"

Sasuke's only reply was to hold out the sword to her, holding her gaze steadily.

Stunned, still suspicious, but sensing no hidden malice in the Uchiha heir, the Godaime reached forward slowly and wrapped her hand around the beautiful sword, which Sasuke relinquished immediately. Letting his hand fall to his side, he stepped back, and waited. He had done all he could. Now the choice was hers…for one of only a few times in his life, Sasuke could admit to himself that he was tempted to pray.

"Why now? Why come back now of all times?" There was anger in Tsunade's voice, in her eyes. "And why like this? I'm guessing that no one else knows you're here."

Sasuke nodded. "Like this…because of the two opinions in this village that matter to me, yours is the one I need first. I have done what I can to show you my sincerity. You have the bastard's head there. Whether or not it permanently killed him, I cannot say, but that particular body is gone. Sound will not attack Konoha anytime soon. If and when they ever do in the future, they will be much weaker, and easy to fend off."

The Hokage's eyes narrowed. "That's it? No apologies? No begging?"

"No."

She continued to hold his midnight eyes, measuring him, testing him. After what felt like a small eternity to Sasuke, she nodded once, very slowly.

"I must bind you now, and inform the Council. You do realize that I can't let you off – you are still missing-nin as far as this village is concerned. Your punishment will be decided as swiftly as possible. Your…gift…shall certainly be taken into consideration." Sasuke nodded, unsurprised.

She laid the sword carefully across the desk, stood, and moved to stand behind him, bidding him to cross his wrists in front of him. Locking them together with chakra, she then had him sit in a chair to the side of the room, noting the fatigue around his eyes. Very, very dull eyes. Shuddering, Tsunade remembered the last time she had seen the Uchiha boy with eyes like that…just after she woke him up from his brother's mental attack, over three years ago.

She went to the door, calling for the guards, wondering abruptly how Sasuke had gotten past them. Oh well – she'd have time to ask that later. As soon as her messengers had been dispatched to rouse the two members of the Council and a few others, she returned to her desk.

"You still haven't answered my other question." She reminded the dark teen quietly. He blinked at her. "Why now?"

He bowed his head and was silent for a moment before answering in a low voice, "I couldn't take it anymore."

"Couldn't take what?" She wanted to know, but he only shook his head slightly and refused to answer.

* * *

It was not as long as Tsunade had expected before her advisors showed up, along with certain select ninja. Kakashi was, of course, the last one to arrive, although for once he was not late. His one visible eye narrowed at his former student, who was currently standing, eyes closed, resting against the bookshelf behind him. 

Tsunade rose to stand in front of Sasuke, and all the others formed a semi-circle behind her, watching the teen in silence.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Tsunade stated, and the man in question opened his eyes and scanned the people in front of him dispassionately.

"Yes."

"You have returned voluntarily to Konoha, but the charge of missing-nin stands against you. You were a known ally and student of one of Konoha's greatest enemies. Because of you, shinobi of this village were severely injured. Even today, some are still hurt by what you have done." There was no hint of mercy in her face or voice. "Before Hokage, Council, and the leading ninja of this village, how do you answer these charges?"

Sasuke's voice and face were calm. "I acknowledge my guilt to all of the charges brought against me."

A slight murmur ran through his judges.

"However," he continued, locking eyes with Tsunade and ignoring everyone else, "however, I would point out that I have done what I can to remedy the first charge," he nodded toward the bag still on her desk. "There is nothing I can do about the second, but the third…" he closed his eyes briefly, "the third I was hoping I might yet undo."

"What is this remedy that he speaks of, Hokage-sama?" the first Council member wanted to know. Grimly, Tsunade strode to her desk, opened the bag, and drew out Orochimaru's head for all to see. Shock ran through those assembled.

"Uchiha Sasuke has returned with this to prove his loyalty, and has given his sword to me as further proof." Turning her eyes back to Sasuke, she examined him once more, before returning the gruesome trophy to its bag and beckoning toward the back door of the room. "We will deliberate on your punishment."

"I will await your decision," came the quiet reply.

And he did. Sasuke knew that, in a very literal sense, he had nothing to lose here – nothing that he hadn't already lost three long years ago. Nothing to lose – and potentially everything to gain.

So when his judges filed slowly back into the room and circled him again, looking somber, Sasuke did not flinch or look away.

Tsunade stood in front of him, and caught his gaze. "We have made our decision, Uchiha Sasuke. Are you prepared to hear it?"

"I am."

"Our decision, then, is this. You will be allowed to return to Konoha – but for these first two months that you are back you will be kept under strict house arrest and will be guarded continuously. You shall possess no weapons for the first month, and for both months your chakra shall be restricted. Do you understand and accept your punishment?"

Sasuke had closed his eyes after "return to Konoha," but opened them now and nodded sharply. "I do."

"Very well. I shall bind your chakra now, then, and your guard shall be sent for." The Godaime stepped forward, placing a partial-binding jutsu on him before releasing the chakra around his wrists. He frowned slightly at the abrupt absence of most of his chakra, but accepted it. He could stay – that was all that mattered.

Feeling an odd mixture of exhaustion and giddiness – none of which showed on his impassive face – Sasuke returned to leaning against the bookshelf, closed his eyes, and rested. The Hokage had assured him that his guard would come soon, and that he could then leave and get some proper rest.

Thinking about _where_ he was going to rest – he was sure his old apartment had long since been rented out to someone else – he decided that could be filed under 'questions that can wait until later'. Some of the group in the office had disbanded, while others remained behind. Kakashi stayed, but merely pulled out his book and did not try and talk to his former student. Sasuke mentally shrugged, not surprised. No one was going to be very happy with him for quite some time.

He was about to doze off, when a familiar presence touched on the fringes of his awareness. Fully awake again in an instant, Sasuke's head came up, and he stepped forward, facing the door, startling those near him. It was several seconds before any of them could hear the person that Sasuke, even after being gone for three years, could still sense from some distance away.

"Oi, oi, Tsunade-obaachan, why the hell do I have to be here now? Do you have any idea how _early_ it is?" Uzumaki Naruto appeared in the doorway, hastily clad in baggy blue jeans and a black t-shirt, a blue jacket (trimmed with the same eye-smarting shade of orange his old outfit had been) thrown over the shirt. "I just got home and to sleep yesterday too, so why-"

Naruto went utterly still, staring at the black-clad teen facing him from across the room.

"_Sasuke_?" the blond teen whispered, incredulous and almost inaudible, after a moment of total silence.

"Naruto," he replied, voice low to keep it from shaking.

"Sasuke…" Naruto started to step forward, a dizzying whirlwind of emotion passing through his sky blue eyes. Then he snapped his eyes shut, grimacing. When he looked up, his eyes were completely blank and fixed on Tsunade. "Hokage-sama, what was it that you needed me for?"

Tsunade winced inwardly at the blank eyes and voice – Naruto _never_ called her that – and hoped that she was doing the right thing. "I am aware that you just got home yesterday, but since you'd probably be in here later today asking for a new mission anyway, I thought I might as well give it to you now. Uchiha Sasuke is to be held under house arrest with a constant guard for the next two months – and I have decided that you are the best one to do this."

Blue eyes closed again. Voice even more unemotional than before, he replied, "As you wish, Hokage-sama. I assume that I am to take him to my apartment for now?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Eyes open once more, he turned to his charge, staring very fixedly at a point somewhere over Sasuke's left shoulder. "If you'll follow me, Uchiha-san." Without waiting for a reply and to all outward appearances not seeing the pain flaring behind the midnight black eyes, he turned and began walking out of the room.

Holding his unconcerned, unemotional mask firmly in place, Sasuke scooped up his pack and followed.

Everyone in the room stared after them, before turning questioningly to the Godaime. Tsunade gazed out of the door, her worry only showing in her eyes. _I hope I did the right thing…._ Her eyes fell to the bag still lying on her desk. _We couldn't save each other, Orochimaru. Not you, not me, and not Jiraiya. But I think that those two – those two are different._ She swallowed against her grief for the teammate and friend she had lost long before his death. _I can only pray that they _are_ different, that they are stronger – because they both deserve better than that. They deserve to be happy._

_

* * *

_  
Sasuke followed Naruto back through the streets of Konoha. The sun was just now beginning to rise, so luckily there were few people about. They received a couple of curious glances, but nothing more. Their route was familiar to the dark-haired shinobi, and he quickly realized that Naruto must not have moved from his old apartment in the time he'd been away.

Sasuke refused to let Naruto's refusal to acknowledge him register in his mind. _He'll get over it – I believe that. I _have_ to believe that…._ Sasuke forced himself to focus on the city around him. Outwardly, it really hadn't changed all that much. Little things here and there – and it seemed quieter than he remembered. And not just because it was early morning – there was some…presence gone from it that he couldn't quite place.

After what felt like far too long to Sasuke, they reached Naruto's old apartment. _Well, at least some things never change. _He suppressed a wry smile at the sight of various ramen cups strewn everywhere, the old posters still in place on the walls. He dropped his pack next to the door and slipped off his sandals.

"You may have the couch, Uchiha-san," Naruto said in a flat voice that left a numb feeling in Sasuke's stomach. He dropped the blue jacket on a nearby chair and heading for the living room. "You'll have to forgive me for not having anything more suitable."

"Naruto." The blond ninja stopped at Sasuke's voice. "Naruto, please look at me," he requested quietly. Very slowly, Naruto turned around and met his gaze with eyes like a clear winter sky – blue and icy cold.

Sasuke moved forward cautiously, stopping a couple of feet away from Naruto. Then, black eyes never leaving blue, he slowly dropped down onto his knees. "Naruto…_I'm sorry_."

The sky blue eyes widened, shock replacing the blankness before Naruto closed his eyes and bent his head.

"Get up." The command was low, almost a growl. "Get _up_."

Swallowing, Sasuke stood. This was his true verdict.

"How _dare_ you…" Naruto's voice was still low, growling. Sasuke stood very still, the cold, numb feeling in his stomach spreading out to fill all of him – Naruto still wasn't looking at him, still wasn't acknowledging him. "How dare you leave…for _three fucking years_…and then come back…and tell me you're _sorry_?"

Sasuke was opening his mouth to say something, anything, when Naruto's head snapped up.

Blue eyes blazing with anger and grief locked with his. "You _bastard_! You fucking _dumbass_!" The shorter boy's voice began to rise in volume. "I can't believe you would be so _stupid_! Baka! Ahou!"

But Sasuke had seen, beneath the grief and rage, something that he thought might be hope… "Naruto," he whispered again, his soft plea cutting through the other boy's rant.

Shock passed over his friend's face yet again, followed by a lost look that almost made Sasuke's heart stop. Then the anger was back, blazing hot in the shinobi's eyes.

"No, _no_, NO! I will _not_ listen to you, to your fucking excuses-"

"I didn't come back to give you excuses." Sasuke kept his voice as quiet and calm as he could, suppressing his own rising frustration at Naruto's stubbornness.

Naruto glared at him, and Sasuke's hopes rose slightly. "Bastard. Jerk. Bastard."

"You said that already, dobe," Sasuke pointed out, finally irritated, falling with incredible ease back into their old verbal sparring.

Naruto froze again at the sound of his old nickname. Then, he drew back his fist and hit Sasuke square across the face. "_Baka_!"

Annoyed, shocked, and strangely relieved, Sasuke staggered, caught himself, and was preparing to return the favor when two strong arms wrapped themselves around him and pulled him close.

"You're such an _idiot_, Sasuke," Naruto murmured next to his ear. "So _dumb_…"

"Naruto…" Sasuke drew in a shaky breath and returned his friend's hug just as tightly. "I know, but…Naruto…_tadaima_."

The arms holding him tightened. "So dumb…and I can't _stand_ you and I'm _fucking_ mad at you and…and…_okaeri_, Sasuke." He could hear in the blond's voice that he was holding back tears. Then, in a low whisper, "I'm glad you're back!"

Letting his friend's light fill him, Sasuke felt that he was waking up, that somehow the past three years had just been a long, terrible night filled with nightmares, and that at long last, the sun was rising….

_I feel…warm…._ Briefly tightening his embrace, the Uchiha heir then stepped gently away. He would deal with everyone else and their reactions later. He had his best friend back, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

"So…how have you been?" 

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "How do you think, baka?"

"Yes, yes. You're mad at me, you hate me, and you spent months thinking of all the ways you were going to kill me if I came back. But – I didn't think you would let it get you down too much. That's not like you."

It was mid-afternoon. They had both fallen asleep not long after their reconciliation, and had only just woken a little while ago. Naruto had found Sasuke lying out on his roof, drinking in the view of the city and basking in the sun.

Naruto was quiet for so long after this remark that Sasuke finally looked over at him, questioning. "Sometimes-" he began awkwardly, stopped, then continued in a brighter tone. "Sometimes I was a little down, yeah. But it was mostly okay." He gave Sasuke his trademark grin. "I spent the first couple of years out of the village seeing places with Ero-sennin, then I came back here and Tsunade-obaachan made me ANBU. I've been working a lot since then. Not much more to tell, really."

Sasuke had the feeling that there _was_ more to tell, but the familiar grin reassured him. "Ero-sennin?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Jiraiya-sensei." Naruto grinned again. "He's the one who taught me the _Rasengan_ – but he also writes those perverted books Kakashi-sensei's always reading."

Sasuke nodded, hiding a smile at the face Naruto was making. Every moment he spent here, he was waking up more and more. It felt good to be alive again.

"Naruto."

"What?"

Sasuke turned his head, and briefly let a smile flash across his face. Ignoring the way Naruto's eyes widened at this, he whispered, "I'm glad to be back, too."

Naruto blinked a couple more times at him before returning the smile. "Heh. Yeah."

The two boys lay in silence for a while longer, enjoying the sun and each other's company.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke," Naruto said hesitantly.

"Mm?"

"What- what happened with you?"

It was Sasuke's turn to be still.

"If you don't want to talk about it-"

"It…wasn't good. I knew that going in, of course, but the reality was harder to deal with than it was in my head. I'm stronger now – that much I know for certain. But the price…" he trailed off, eyes closing, forehead wrinkled slightly, as if in remembered pain. "He was a fucked up bastard, you know. It was always so dark…I think this is the first time I've _felt_ sunshine, Naruto. In three years…."

"Eh, I always said you were messed up," Naruto said loftily, trying to cheer his best friend.

Sasuke almost laughed. "I was, too. But now…."

Naruto tried not to let his horror and rage show on his face. _That bastard snake! How _dare_ he hurt Sasuke like this…._

"It's fine, dobe," Sasuke said quickly, voice indifferent again. "It's over now. I'm back."

Naruto scowled at the taller boy. "What do you mean 'it's over now'? Really, now I think about it, how _did_ you get away in the first place?"

"I killed him."

"Eh? Just like that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "He let his guard down. I had my sword out from practice earlier. It wasn't too hard to slice off his head." The dark-haired teen decided that his friend didn't need to know exactly _how_ he had gotten Orochimaru to let his guard down – it would only make him even more upset. "I brought it back with me – that's the only reason Hokage-sama let me stay, I think."

"You brought back the bastard's _head_? Ewww." Naruto scrunched up his nose, and Sasuke couldn't help but laugh. It really was hard to stay gloomy around the noisy shinobi. He'd always hated it before – he'd be in the middle of a perfectly good brooding session, only to have his teammate interrupt him. But now…

"Ne, baka."

"What, dobe?"

"Is there anything I can do?"

Sasuke smiled slightly. Naruto understood him so well sometimes. "Just be here."

"Eh? That's it?"

"That's it."

Naruto studied him carefully, as if to make sure he weren't hiding something. "All right then." He grinned. "I'll be so 'here' that you'll be begging Tsunade-obaachan to move out by the end of the week!"

Sasuke sighed with nervousness at this announcement, and lay back, closing his eyes again. Yeah, it was good to be home.


	2. II

Disclaimer: Still do not own Naruto

Warnings: Shounen-ai, WAFF, slight angst, some OOCness.

II.

Naruto leaned back in his chair and stretched languidly. "That was a good breakfast! Where'd you learn to cook like that?"

He received a wry look from the darker ninja. "_Some_ of us can't live on ramen, dobe."

"I'm not a dobe, baka." Naruto responded automatically. "I _like_ ramen for breakfast."

Sasuke snorted and began to clear the table. "You like ramen any time of the day or night."

Naruto grinned. "Damn straight."

As Sasuke sighed, muttering, "You're hopeless," a sharp knock sounded on Naruto's front door.

"Eh?" Naruto sat up, bewildered. "No one ever visits me…."

Sasuke frowned slightly at that statement, but made no comment as Naruto rose and answered the door.

"Is it true!"

"He's back?"

"_Really_!"

"**_Sasuke-kun_**?"

Naruto was left blinking in the door way as a whirlwind with blond and pink hair rushed past him.

"So, the bastard's back, is he? I'm surprised Hokage-sama let him in. I wouldn't have." Kiba growled, stalking in after the two girls, and Akamaru yipped an affirmative from next to his owner.

"This is going to be so troublesome," was Shikamaru's comment, accompanied by an eloquent roll of the eyes. Chouji scowled in Sasuke's general direction while crunching loudly on his latest bag of chips, and Neji was watching the ex-runaway with narrowed eyes as they both pushed in after Shikamaru. Hinata said nothing, but slipped in past her cousin to stand beside Kiba in Naruto's now-overcrowded entryway.

"Umm…guys…?" Naruto asked, eyes wide at this sudden influx of people into his apartment. Everyone ignored him in favor of pushing further into the room, surrounding Sasuke, who looked like he had narrowly avoided a glomp by the two over-excited kunoichi. They chattered on, all of the boys speculating on why Sasuke had been allowed to come back, and shooting glares at him. The girls (minus Hinata) were looking torn between cooing over him and smacking him for leaving, and in the middle of it all stood Sasuke, arms crossed over his chest, face impassive.

And suddenly, Naruto was mad at him.

_That jerk…he thinks he's so cool, brushing everyone off like this…it's not _fair!_ I've got more people in my apartment now then I've ever had here in my _entire life_, and it's **still** all for _him!_ All for _Uchiha-fucking-Sasuke!

"HEY!" Naruto shouted as loud as he could. And, being Naruto, that was pretty loud. The whole group, startled, fell silent and turned to see Naruto still in the doorway, fuming. Even Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Your neighbors aren't going to appreciate that, you know." He pointed out calmly.

"Shut up, jerk." Naruto glared.

"Naruto!" Sakura and Ino protested in unison. "Don't be rude!"

"Why shouldn't I be? _You're_ all certainly not being very polite! Barging into MY apartment, without even so much as a 'Good morning, Naruto,' before you're off and hanging on dumbass-Uchiha there!" Naruto growled out, taking the time to glare at the group of Konoha ninja before returning to the source of his frustration, who gazed calmly back, unfazed by his anger.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and the others at least had the grace to look embarrassed. Hinata, eyes lowered, said quietly. "I'm very sorry, Naruto-kun. Good morning."

"Hm." He didn't stop glaring at Sasuke, but acknowledged the apology. "Good morning, Hinata. It's okay – I know _you_ didn't do it on purpose."

"I apologize as well, Naruto," Neji added. Chouji and Kiba nodded.

"Yes, yes," Ino waved dismissively at him, before turning back to Sasuke. Sakura managed a slightly sheepish smile at her former teammate before doing the same.

_Oi, what it takes to get a smile from Sakura-chan…not that I really care anymore._ Naruto backed out of his aggressive posture slightly. _I got over that crush years ago…I was so empty…and I left for awhile too…and when I got back, I had lost interest. Lost interest in a lot of things, actually._

Shikamaru sighed. "I knew this was going to be troublesome."

Naruto shook his head at the ever-lazy genius, and then narrowed his eyes at Sasuke again, anger returning. _It's all his fault! Bastard…first getting all the attention, and then running away, and then coming back and STILL getting all the attention…._

"Uchiha," he growled.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, ignoring the girls in front of him. "Usuratonkachi."

"That's _it_!" Naruto dove forward, ignoring the scattering group, and launched his fist at Sasuke's face. Sasuke easily saw it coming, though, and blocked it without even flinching.

"Heh. You really are a dobe, aren't you?"

"**Sasuke**!" He was pulling back to try again when his arms were caught and pinned. _Dammit! I forgot about Sakura and Ino…_he fought the hold, but couldn't do much without hurting the girls, something he had no intention of doing.

"Let him go." Sasuke ordered quietly. Everyone stared at him.

"But, Sasuke-kun, he wants to fight you…" Ino trailed off uncertainly. Sakura, her last meeting with the Uchiha teen obviously on her mind, had been quieter than her friend, and remained so now.

"Yeah. And I want to fight him. So let him go." Calm and matter-of-fact.

"O-okay," the girls slowly released the shorter teen, who was still radiating anger in waves.

"Good," was all he said, before launching himself at his friend again.

"Not," Sasuke blocked Naruto again, though with slightly more difficulty this time, "right now."

"What?" Naruto almost pouted, but turned it into a glare at the last second. "Make up your mind, baka!"

"You have guests, dobe."

"They're not MY guests. They're only here for YOU. Ahou." Now he really glared.

Sasuke frowned back at him. "It's not like I _asked_ them to come."

"That's not the point…" Naruto muttered, looking away, not wanting Sasuke to see the hurt in his eyes.

"We'll come back some other time. Or perhaps Sasuke could come out with us for awhile? That way we wouldn't be bothering you, Naruto," suggested Neji smoothly.

"Hmph." Naruto still wouldn't look at them.

"Oh! That's an excellent idea! Come on, Sasuke-kun!" Ino gushed, reaching forward to take his arm.

"I can't."

She paused. And pouted. "Why not, Sasuke-kuuun?"

_Because I'm under orders. And I don't want to leave Naruto,_ Sasuke's mind supplied, wincing at her whiny voice, but he said nothing.

"Stupid Sasuke," muttered Naruto, turning around and rolling his eyes. "You could at least explain." He faced the others. "He's under house arrest for the next two months – so he can't go out until then. Hokage's orders!" He finished quickly, putting his hands up when Sakura and Ino would have protested. "If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Tsunade-obaachan, not with us."

This news led to the general retreat toward the door of the group. The guys were all pleased that Sasuke was suffering some punishment. Sakura looked sad, but generally seemed relieved just to see that Sasuke was back and being his old self, at least towards Naruto. Ino pouted. Hinata just smiled briefly at both Sasuke and Naruto before following Neji and Kiba out the door.

"We'll be back!" called Ino, waving as the rest also left.

"I hope not," muttered Sasuke, too quiet to hear. Or so he thought.

"Why?" Naruto turned as he closed the door, scowling at Sasuke again. "You're so dumb, baka! You get all this attention, all this love, even when you do stupid things like run away, and you don't care at all! I hate it! You're so fucking _arrogant_!"

"But I don't care what they think!" Sasuke frowned back at him. "There's only one person in this village whose opinion I care about."

"And who would that be?" Naruto demanded, frustrated.

"He's standing right in front of me," Sasuke said quietly, honestly, holding Naruto's gaze.

Naruto's eyes widened. _He means…me? But why…why _me? Something empty in Naruto's heart seemed to ache a little bit less. _But still!_

"That doesn't give you the right to treat them like crap! Especially not Sakura, who worried about you, and the guys, who got hurt over you!" Naruto launched himself at Sasuke again, and the dark-haired shinobi didn't try to stop the fight. They fought all over the apartment, taking care not to damage things too much.

_He's strong…_Sasuke thought, realizing that he was barely holding his own against his friend and rival. At last, exhausted and panting, they stopped; Naruto collapsed flat on the floor, arms and legs spread-eagled, and Sasuke flopped limply onto the couch.

"Better?" he asked the boy on the floor quietly.

Eyes still closed, Naruto realized that his frustration with the other was gone, at least for the moment. He cracked an eye at his friend. "Yeah. Better."

"Good." They were silent for a few moments more, before Naruto levered himself off the floor and flopped down next to Sasuke on the couch. He eyed the other intently, until finally Sasuke turned and glared at him. "What is it, dobe? Did my face rearrange itself or something?"

"No," Naruto grinned, "still girly as ever," Sasuke twitched but let it go, "I was just thinking about how I really popped you a good one there at the end."

Sasuke closed his eyes and grimaced, but couldn't dispute Naruto's claim. He'd have a swollen lip for a few days…but it had definitely helped dissipate Naruto's frustration, and for that Sasuke was willing to fight as often as Naruto wanted. _Anything to finish healing the gap between us…I need him…his light…my sunshine_….unconsciously, Sasuke let his hand reach out to ruffle Naruto's golden hair.

"Hn. Yeah. But I got you several times before then – dobe."

"Baka!" Naruto sprang up from the couch, a finger pointed challengingly into Sasuke's face. "I won't lose to you! I won't lose to anyone!"

Sasuke only smirked at his loud friend, but inside, he was grinning just as widely. _I know you won't…Naruto…._

_

* * *

_  
"Oi, Sasuke! Wake up!" The ninja in question just grumbled loudly and rolled over, covering his head with the blanket. Why did Naruto have to be so loud and so…so…so _awake_ in the morning? It wasn't decent!

"G'way," he mumbled.

"Up, up, up!" Naruto zipped around the couch, sing-songing as loudly as possible.

"Argh! Fine, I'm up!" Sasuke sat up, and pulled the blanket off his head. Bright morning sunshine struck him full in the face, and he winced, closing his eyes again.

"Good!" Naruto peered at him from over the back of the couch, to make sure he was fully awake. The blond teen snickered.

"What?" Sasuke tried to summon up one of his famous glares, but only succeeded in looking petulant.

"Eheheh. Your hair's all weird…." Naruto skipped away into the kitchen, still laughing, before Sasuke could get up the energy to reach for him.

"Usuratonkachi..." Running hands through his short hair to settle it back into place, Sasuke rose and stretched. "You'd better not be making ramen for breakfast."

"No, baka! Breakfast is your job. I'm just washing dishes." And so he was.

It had been strange at first, living together like this. However, over the past two months, Sasuke found that he had grown used to it – the sharing of living space and chores, being able to talk at any time of the day or night, being there to welcome Naruto home.

_Heh._ That had surprised him, how overjoyed Naruto had been at such a little thing. His friend had gone out for a few hours one day about a week after Sasuke returned, and had called out "Tadaima" as soon as he got back in the door. His voice had been…resigned, and later Sasuke realized that Naruto must say that every day to an empty apartment. At the time, however, he had merely replied "Okaeri!" unthinkingly. The pure delight in Naruto's sky-blue eyes had stuck in Sasuke's mind for days afterwards, not to mention the huge hug the shorter teen had given him.

_For some reason, getting glomped by Naruto doesn't bother me like getting glomped by the girls does…in fact, I wish he'd do it more often…._Sasuke, startled at the direction his thoughts were heading, quickly refocused his attention on breakfast.

But it was hard – hard _not_ to think of Naruto. The other was constantly in his mind; his blue eyes, sun-gold hair, irrepressible personality and the bright, constant light of his spirit that, even without the aid of the Sharingan, Sasuke had no trouble sensing.

_I never did – not from the very first day he got up on that desk in front of me. I could never get his…energy, his light out of my head. Even those three years in the darkness with that bastard…I could still remember Naruto, even when everything else had begun to fade._ Sasuke shuddered. _And that was what really woke me up - when I realized that even my memories of _him_ were fading…and I knew I had to get back to him…that I'd die without him…._He barely suppressed another shudder.

"Hey, Sasuke, you okay?" Naruto came to his side by the stove, peering worriedly up into his face. Summoning a small but genuine smile for his friend, Sasuke nodded. Satisfied, Naruto finished drying the last plate and then flopped onto his chair at the table to wait for their breakfast to be done.

_He saved me. These past two months, he has saved me. And I really don't know how I'll ever repay him for that… 'Thank you' wouldn't even _begin_ to cover it…._ Sasuke shook his head at himself, then got busy serving the food before Naruto could ask him what was on his mind.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke. I'm supposed to take you to see Tsunade-obaachan today, remember?" Naruto said quietly about half-way through their meal.

Sasuke looked up, startled. "Oh, right. Sure." _Has it really been that long already? It doesn't fell like two months somehow._

"Heh." Naruto quirked an odd smile at him and finished his food. "Hurry up!" He dashed away into his bedroom to get dressed.

Sasuke frowned thoughtfully and went to do the same.

* * *

The teens stood in front of Tsunade's desk as she scrutinized them both. Seeming satisfied with whatever she found, she motioned for Sasuke to come stand in front of her, and released the jutsu that had been holding back most of his chakra. He gasped slightly at the sudden influx of power back into his system, and took a moment to reorient himself before returning to stand beside Naruto. 

"Well, that should just about take care of everything then," Tsunade said to them. "Here's the key and address to your new apartment, Sasuke. You have a month to train and re-acquaint yourself with the city and then we'll see what we can do about some testing for you."

Sasuke nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed. _A new apartment…I guess it's to be expected, but still. I was kind of hoping I could stay with Naruto…._He glanced over at his friend.

Naruto had a wide grin plastered firmly across his face. It seemed genuine enough, as it had for the past two months, but Sasuke still felt a touch of unease, as if his friend were hiding something from him. That feeling was stronger now than it had been since his first day back….

But the blond shinobi merely stuck his tongue out at Tsunade. "A new apartment, huh? It's probably a lot nicer than mine, too. No fair!"

Sasuke smirked as the Fifth Hokage of Konoha stuck her tongue out back at Naruto. "Brat. You've got more than enough money to get yourself a better place!"

"Eh, I'm just messin' with you, Tsunade-obaachan. I like my place – I've always been there, anyway." His grin faded into a low mumble as Tsunade left the room for a moment. "Not like anyone else'd give me a place anyway…."

The mumble was so low that Sasuke wasn't even sure he heard it, and it was swept out of his mind when Tsunade returned from a back room.

"Ah!" Sasuke didn't try to hide his delight as the Godaime returned his sword.

"Ooo! That's beautiful…" Naruto inched closer as Sasuke carefully drew the blade. "Wow…"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, carefully swinging it back and forth, reacquainting himself with his favorite weapon. "One of few things I can say I am truly _happy_ to have gained back in Sound," he said in a low voice to Naruto, "this sword and the skills to use it."

Naruto nodded, eyes following the slender, shining blade. "How good are you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "One of the best in Sound – I was beginning to be able to beat my teacher a lot of the time, and several of the other swordsmen there. How that measures up here I don't know yet. I'm hoping to have the chance to find out."

"I'll be happy to spar with you – I still owe you a couple beatings," Naruto grinned at him, hands folded behind his head.

"Hn. Whatever, dobe." Sasuke smirked and sheathed his sword. In truth, he'd been hoping Naruto would say that. They had argued and fought many times over the past two months; mostly as a release for all the pent-up anger and frustration between them. But it had only been hand-fighting, with neither weapons nor jutsus, and Sasuke was curious to see how that would turn out. They had both gotten a great deal stronger.

_I'm going to miss being with him all the time, though, _the dark-eyed teen admitted to himself as they left Tsunade's office.

"Ne, Sasuke, let's go get your stuff right now! I'll help you find your new place and move in." Naruto danced happily down the hall ahead of his amused friend, who just shook his head and followed in a more decorous manner.

"Sure." _He's probably sick of me, anyway, after being used to living alone. He'll be just fine…_Sasuke ignored the voice in the back of his mind that was yelling "Liar!" at him. He did frown at Naruto's back as they made their way down the stairs, though. _It's true that he's hiding something. Something isn't right…_but Sasuke didn't have any idea what the problem could be.

It took almost no time at all to pack up Sasuke's meager possessions and head out to find the address that Tsunade had given him. Any worries about not being able to choose the place himself vanished immediately as they crossed the threshold.

The apartment was small, already furnished, with most of the space being taken up by an open living area, which had double-doors opening out onto a small balcony. The kitchen and bedroom with connected bathroom were tiny to make up for the open living room, but Sasuke didn't mind.

"Heh, I knew it'd be nicer than mine," Naruto pouted half-heartedly, but then his curiosity overcame him and he poked all over the apartment. Sasuke watched him with amusement as he dumped his few clothes in the bedroom's small dresser. He was going to have to go shopping soon – he hoped the store that made customized shirts was still open, all of his shirts with his clan symbol having worn out long before.

"Well," Naruto came to stand in front of him as he moved back out into the living room, "well, now that you're settled, I guess I'll get going…."

"Yeah," Sasuke said, his stomach tightening_. I do not like this. I do not want to be away from him…I'm better now, but still I…_swallowing, he straightened, and held out a hand to Naruto.

Looking rather unhappy himself (though he was trying his best to hide it) Naruto awkwardly took Sasuke's proffered hand.

_Why does this feel so wrong…_Sasuke paused briefly, before using their joined hands to pull Naruto forward and into a tight hug. Naruto was startled, but did not resist. _Ah – because _this_ is what is right…to have him here in my arms…_Sasuke held off the realization that was beginning to dawn in his mind. _Not with Naruto still here…._

"Thank you, Naruto," he whispered. "That doesn't even begin to cover what I owe you, but…thank you."

"Heh." Naruto pulled away slowly. "No problem. Just – just as long as you're better now?" he asked anxiously, peering at Sasuke's dark eyes.

"I'm much better, dobe," Sasuke said, but there was no venom behind the insult.

"Good." Seemingly satisfied with what he saw in his friend's eyes, Naruto nodded firmly before heading for the door."I'll see you around then?"

"Sure."

Naruto hesitated briefly, then with a quick shake of his yellow-golden head and a flash of a grin, he was gone.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Sasuke shuffled backwards and let himself fall to lay flat across the couch, one forearm tossed up over his closed eyes. Only then did he let his earlier realization hit him fully.

_The reason I want to be with him always…to have him in my arms…the reason I couldn't live without him…because I…I…_Sasuke laughed cynically at himself. _Can't even admit it in my own head…but it's true just the same. Naruto…my precious, irreplaceable person…even if I won't ever be able to tell you that._

Feeling an unexpected prick of tears, Sasuke curled up on his side, sneering at himself. _Still so weak, as always…_and of course that thought brought with it the usual vision of Sharingan eyes, staring back at him….

But as he drifted off to sleep, his mind still wrapped in a dark cloud of hate, he did not dream of blood-red eyes. Instead, his dreams were filled with eyes the color of the summer sky and the cloud of hate lifted slowly away.


	3. III

Disclaimer: Naruto still belongs to Kishimoto-sama.

Warnings: Umm...nothing in particular. Slight angst.

III.

Sasuke paused behind a tree, panting silently in a somewhat futile attempt to catch his breath, and listening hard. Red Sharingan eyes scanned the forest systematically, searching for his opponent.

An almost inaudible rustle above him was his only warning. He just barely managed to roll forward as a dark-clad figure with sun-yellow hair landed where he'd been standing a second before.

The Uchiha teen immediately tossed off a couple of kunai, hoping to catch Naruto off guard.

_Damn, almost_! The whiskered ninja dodged his attack, and they both stopped, eyeing each other across the clearing.

"Shall we?" Sasuke asked, still panting, one hand going over his shoulder to his sword's hilt.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, also reaching back for his staff, which he quickly locked out to its full length of about four feet.

They stood still a few seconds more, weapons held ready, and then flew at each other, the steel of Sasuke's sword clanging with that of Naruto's staff. Strike and parry, strike and parry…the two ninja danced and wove through the forest, making their sparring seem more like a well-choreographed performance than the actual fight it was.

Just as they were both about to drop from exhaustion, Naruto found an opening, slipping the end of his staff quickly around the sword blade to press the end of it up against Sasuke's throat, being careful to stay out of his reach.

Sharingan eyes closed and opened as deep onyx. Sasuke grimaced, frustrated, but nodded, and lowered his sword, sheathing it in one fluid motion as Naruto withdrew and collapsed his staff, grinning.

"Enough for today?" The blond shinobi queried, half-turning in the direction of the village.

"Aa." Still peeved, Sasuke nevertheless followed without argument, and Naruto, sensing his friend's displeasure, did not rub in his victory as he might otherwise have done. It was obvious – to Naruto at least – that the dark-eyed teen was still suffering from his inferiority complex, no matter that he _had_ gotten much, much stronger.

_I'm not just going to _let _him win, though,_ Naruto thought with exasperation. _And it's not like I win all the time – he's beaten me at least as often as I've beaten him in these training sessions. _It had been a month since Sasuke had moved into his own apartment, and they had been training together nearly every day since then.

_It's helped me too,_ Naruto admitted to himself as they neared the city gates. _It's helped ease the difficulty of being alone again…_Naruto shook his head. _Dumb. It's not as if he'd want to keep living with you…with the monster…. _

"Ne, ne, Sasuke," Naruto said, trying to get away from the prison of his own thoughts, "it's been a month now since your punishment was up. Didn't Tsunade-obaachan say something about getting you tested now? You're well above Chuunin level at this point, but she'll probably need some kind of formal thing to show everyone else that it's true."

Sasuke blinked at Naruto, the dark cloud hanging over him lifting a little. "Aa," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…I was just wondering if…" Naruto frowned down at his feet, arms behind his head.

"If…what?"

"Eheheh," the blond teen slid his familiar grin into place. _Idiot. Why would he need to keep training with you, once he's made Chuunin and is doing missions and stuff? Just let it go_!"It's nothing, Sasuke."

"No, it's not nothing," Sasuke frowned at him and stopped walking. "What's wrong, Naruto? What did you want to ask me?"

"Just wondering if being made Chuunin will give you a better fashion sense to go with it!" He grinned a little wider, eyes closed, and stuck his tongue out at his friend before taking off for the village.

"Usuratonkachi! What do you mean I don't have any fashion sense!" Annoyed, Sasuke went after Naruto, and pushed the strange look that had been in Naruto's eyes to the back of his head. There'd be time to worry about that later – _after_ he taught the dobe a lesson.

The "dobe" in question grinned as he heard Sasuke give chase, and ignored the pain inside. _I'll just have to start doing lots of missions again…and Tsunade-obaachan won't be able to yell at me about it for awhile either, since I've just had three whole months of rest_!_ It's been fun being with Sasuke again, but it's better for me to be out of the village, now. He won't want me hanging around too much, especially not with my reputation in the village about as bad as it's ever been. I'll do everyone in Konoha more good by being out doing important missions…._

Taking a deep breath, and shoving all the hurt and doubt deep down inside, Naruto plastered his trademark grin on his face and nodded to himself. _Yes, as soon as Sasuke has been tested, I'll start going out again._ This firmly resolved, Naruto then put some real attention into avoiding Sasuke and working his way toward the ramen shop, where he was hoping his friend might treat him.


	4. IV

Disclaimer: Nope...still do not own Naruto.

Warnings: **Angst**, shounen-ai, some sappiness, some OOCness

IV.

Sasuke banged on the door of Naruto's apartment for the fifth time that day, glaring. _Where has the dobe gone? He just got back from a mission yesterday, so I can't imagine he'd be anywhere but bed today. But if that were true, he'd have heard me long before now…I wonder if Tsunade-sama knows where he is._

Sasuke glared at the door one last time before turning and sprinting over Konoha's rooftops to the Hokage tower. Glancing briefly at his recently-acquired Chuunin vest, the Hokage's guards let him into her office without any fuss, for which Sasuke was grateful. He was even more grateful to find the Godaime alone.

"Hokage-sama," he bowed briefly as the door closed. "Do you know where Naruto is?"

"Naruto? He's off on a mission."

Sasuke stared. "But…he just got back from one yesterday!"

Tsunade looked unhappy, but nodded reluctantly. "Yes. It's just…how he is now." She shrugged, and muttered, "I was hoping now that you were back…."

"Now that I was back - what?" Sasuke demanded. "What is wrong with Naruto? And don't try to tell me nothing – that's all I ever get from him, and I _know_ he's lying."

"Yes, he is lying," Tsunade sighed, and gestured for Sasuke to take a seat. "I was hoping that now you are back, he might stop this…this…habit, or cycle he's gotten himself into. He comes and asks for the most difficult missions I can give him, goes and does them superbly, comes back, and immediately asks for another. I believe he goes home in between long enough to shower and get some ramen."

Sasuke stared at Tsunade, horrified. "And he does this-"

"Continuously. Until he is literally at the verge of physical collapse, and then he sleeps for a few days, before coming back and starting it over again."

"But…why? And why do you let him do this? You're the Hokage, you can tell him to quit!"

The Godaime just shook her head sadly. "It's…not that simple, Sasuke. I've tried – believe me I've tried! I just…can't say 'no' to him…not when it's the only thing keeping him sane."

Sasuke was at a loss for words. "But _why_…I mean, even if it was because of what I did…I thought we were okay now…he seemed better…."

"Part of it was you, yes…but that's not all of it. The real problem has been building for years…since he was a baby, actually." Tsunade closed her eyes, heart aching for 'her' boy.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, demanding.

The Hokage frowned, and eyed him carefully for a long moment. "What I am about to tell you does not leave this room, understood?"

Sasuke blinked, confused, but nodded.

"Very well. Naruto would _not _want me to tell you this – and the only reason I _am_ telling you is that I think you are the only one who can help him now." Tsunade sighed, and leaned forward on her desk. "You know the story of the Kyuubi, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess. It attacked the village, and the Yondaime saved us from it by sacrificing himself. Why?"

"Do you know any of the details of that sacrifice?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"The Yondaime used a new jutsu that he had developed to seal the Kyuubi away – and he sealed it away into a new-born baby, sacrificing his own life in the process to save the village." Tsunade smiled sadly. "He was a good man, and is still celebrated today as a great hero of this village. It was his last wish that the boy who carried the seal would also bear the title of 'hero,' since it was thanks to him that the jutsu could be performed at all.

"Unfortunately, that wish was not to be – the boy, instead of being lauded as a hero, was reviled and despised, always seen as the demon itself, instead of the demon's keeper."

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, realization hitting him. "Of course…the 'forbidden child'…none of the adults ever seemed to like him, so we stayed away too…and that's what that weird red chakra of his is!"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. He learned to control the Kyuubi's chakra without the demon actually taking hold of him just a bit before the Chuunin exams."

"It does get a hold over him, though, sometimes." Sasuke murmured, remembering. "He did it once to protect us from the bastard in those same exams…and then once more when we-" he stopped, the memories of their last battle before his departure still painful.

"When you fought?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah." Sasuke did his best to shove the memories away.

"Well then – now you know Naruto's story. I'm sure you've noticed how much of the village treats him?"

"Yes…" More pieces of the long-standing puzzle were falling into place. The whispers that followed the blond shinobi whenever he walked around town; the cold looks and quickly veiled glares. "But he _isn't_ the Kyuubi – he's Naruto."

That made Tsunade smile and shake her head. "I thought that's what you'd say. You're right of course – but that isn't how the village sees it. To many of them – especially to those who don't know him – he is a convenient scapegoat for their old hatred and fear. He is a living reminder of what once was."

Sasuke's dark eyes narrowed. "I'll stop it…I'll make them see-"

"Make them see what, Uchiha?" Tsunade growled, annoyed at his arrogance. "Even Jiraiya _and_ I making our approval of the boy clear to the entire village has not changed most people's opinions. What makes you think you could do better?"

Sasuke grimaced and continued to glare, but nodded reluctantly.

"I'm not asking you to help the villagers – they cannot be helped." Tsunade held the onyx eyes firmly with her own. "What I am asking is for you to help _Naruto_. He's falling apart, Sasuke, and _I can't help him_!" Her pain and frustration over this fact were obvious in both her voice and eyes. "But you…." Tsunade closed her eyes, and sat back in her chair. "I don't know what it is precisely that he needs – but I think that you do, or you will."

Sasuke stood very still, his mind trying to process all this new information. Tsunade looked up at him, and her voice was the closest to begging that Sasuke had ever heard it. "Please – please save him!"

He nodded, firm and confident. "I will. Let me know as soon as he gets back?" At the Hokage's nod, he turned and stalked slowly back to his own apartment, glaring at nothing in particular the whole way, and lost in thought.

_But that's easier said than done. At least now I know generally what the problem is. But how to fix it – it can't be to make the villagers stop, so…I have to get _Naruto_ to stop caring what they do. I have to make him _truly_ stop caring, not just this façade he's been wearing for so long. _The Uchiha teen slipped back into his apartment, glad not to have met anyone along the way. _I can't believe I never noticed before – how much of a mask that grin of his is…especially now…._

Closing his eyes, he flopped backwards onto his couch, an arm over his eyes. _But what can I do? What can I do to help him see himself as he really is? Bright and strong and beautiful…._

Sasuke's eyes flew open. _Dammit…I've got to stop thinking like that. He needs a friend, not a- _grimacing, Sasuke pushed the tempting images away. _Just because I feel that way about him doesn't mean he feels the same. We are _friends_ and nothing more. _

That night, Sasuke slept restlessly, plagued by dreams of empty blue eyes. Finally, he gave up, and sat on the balcony until dawn, aching inside for lack of the one person he truly cared for, and for lack of any way to save him.

_Che. Some prodigy I am…._

_

* * *

_  
"Aaahhh…much better," Naruto grinned to himself as he pulled on a clean uniform, fresh out of his first shower in days. "Now, for a cup of ramen, and then off to see Tsunade-obaachan."

"I wonder how the others are doing…wonder how Sasuke's doing…" Naruto let his thoughts drift a bit during the normally agonizing three minute wait for his ramen to cook. "I could stop in and see him, I suppose." He brightened a bit at that thought, but then shook his head reproachfully.

_Baka,_ he thought, taking the lid off his ramen cup. _Sasuke's fine now, and probably out on a mission anyway – he doesn't need you bothering him. _"Itadakimasu." For once, Naruto let his normal cheer drop as he slurped up his noodles.

Even taking his time to enjoy the meal, it really didn't take the teenaged ANBU long to finish, and so he rose with a sigh, half-heartedly tossing the empty cup into his wastebasket. Grabbing his staff and mask, he headed for the entryway to slip on his sandals, steadfastly refusing to acknowledge just how tired he really was. It wasn't physical – it was mental, emotional; a soul-deep exhaustion and aching loneliness that no amount of sleep ever seemed to heal.

Settling the mask firmly over his head, Naruto stepped out and was locking the door when a familiar voice from behind stopped him short.

"And just where do you think you're going, usuratonkachi?"

"Sasuke!" Naruto's eyes widened behind the mask. The other was wearing long, dark green shorts, and his Chuunin vest over a sleeveless black shirt. Bandages wound up his left hand and forearm, and around his upper right arm was a black band with the Uchiha clan symbol. A new, unmarked Konoha hitai-ate was tied firmly around his forehead, and he was leaning against the railing, hands in his pockets, an eyebrow raised questioningly at Naruto.

"Well, dobe?"

Abruptly aware that he had been staring (not that Sasuke could see that, but still), Naruto blinked and scowled. "I am _not_ a dobe. Or a moron. And I'm on a mission, baka."

"No, you're not."

"Well, I will be in a few minutes, as soon as I go see Tsunade-obaachan."

"No, you're not."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, and he pulled off the mask to glare at the Uchiha teen. "I don't see that that's any of _your_ business, Sasuke," he said quietly, dangerously.

Sasuke frowned at him. "Stop it, Naruto. You just got back from your last mission an hour and a half ago. You can't possibly be in any shape to go out again. This is not healthy, and you know it!"

Something in Naruto snapped. "Then what the hell is healthy, you bastard!" Tossing the mask aside, he dove at Sasuke, anger burning in his eyes. Startled, Sasuke dodged the shorter boy's punch, but only just barely. Quickly grabbing onto Naruto's still outstretched wrist, Sasuke examined him through narrowed onyx eyes.

"You want to train?" He asked, after a moment's uncomfortable silence.

Naruto blinked at him, reigning in his anger, now mad at himself for letting his mask slip. What was it about Sasuke that always got under his skin? No matter – he couldn't afford slips like that again. "Why?"

Sasuke gave him the "Naruto-you're-being-incredibly-oblivious" look. "'Cause I want to, dobe."

"Not a dobe," Naruto muttered half-heartedly, straightening and pulling his arm out of Sasuke's warm hand. "You're sure? You don't need to be out on a mission, or have someone else you'd rather train with?"

That earned him a "Naruto-what-have-you-been-smoking" look. "Hn. No. Ahou. I'm not allowed out of the village alone yet, and you're the only one here who can really challenge me. I've got to fight someone strong if I want to get stronger," Sasuke explained bluntly.

Naruto hesitated. He _wanted_ to go train with Sasuke – such sessions were always helpful to both of them, and it would serve the same purpose as a mission, wouldn't it? It would get him out of the village. He could always go to Tsunade-obaachan tomorrow… "Okay," he agreed, still hesitant, but unable to resist his friend's offer. Training would be so much more fun than another mission!

"Hn. Good." Sasuke turned and picked up his sword from where it rested against a post, and began to walk away, slinging the weapon over his shoulder. Glancing back, he asked pointedly, "Well? Are you coming?"

"Y-yeah," Naruto blinked, took two seconds to toss the ANBU mask back inside his apartment, and turned to follow Sasuke out to the training grounds.

* * *

"Mommy, mommy, that guy has whiskers on his face! Don't they look cool?"  
"Hush, child! Stay away from him!" 

"It's the demon-boy!"

"I heard it was _his_ fault the Uchiha boy ran away."

"Of course! The demon must have driven him away – why else would our prodigy leave us?"

"Honestly! At least he's back now…."

"Monster!"

"Damned fox!"

"You bastard demon – you shouldn't even be here! Get out! You don't belong with people…monster!"

Naruto just barely stopped himself from whirling to catch the owner of the last voice. People rarely spoke directly to him, but he still couldn't react. So, plastering on an even larger grin than before, he continued down the street on his way to the corner grocery store where he bought most of his food.

At least the people who ran the store were civil to him. The only store in Konoha where he could say the staff might actually _like_ him was the Ichiraku, and there he wasn't sure if it was because of his personality, or the fact that he was probably their best customer.

The short trip home was just more of the same.

Anger and despair were kept under an equally tight rein until he was inside and the door shut firmly behind him. Then he stood, very silent, head bowed and hands clenched into fists, his nails drawing blood from his palms.

_I will not cry, I will not cry, I will not cry…_opening empty blue eyes, Naruto headed blindly into the back of the apartment. _I can't do this…I _can't_…they're right…I don't belong here. It _is_ my fault Sasuke left…maybe not that he ran away in the first place, but that I didn't__ bring him back, _couldn't_bring him back…I should leave…should disappear…._

Automatically, Naruto shed the black cargo pants and trademark orange t-shirt he'd been wearing, pulling on his ANBU uniform. Snatching up his kunai holster, he strapped it around his leg and then went around the room, picking up the scattered kunai.

Reaching for one up on a shelf, only half-seeing his surroundings, Naruto accidentally sliced his palm on the sharp edge. Holding the knife in one hand, he stared in vivid fascination at the blood welling from his left palm, and felt a deep, unceasing anger as the cut healed before his eyes, smoking faintly. _Bastard fox_!

The hand holding the kunai tightened around the weapon's handle and Naruto brought it up to stare at it with dead eyes.

_I wonder if…what if I…_

_

* * *

_  
Sasuke left the reporting, running a hand wearily through his hair. His first mission in years and of course it had to be as long and difficult as possible. Pardoned or not, he was sure that Tsunade still felt the ex-runaway needed a bit more punishment.

_Ah well,_ he thought, heading towards his apartment. _Now I get a shower and a nap. _

He was halfway across Konoha before his sense of "something's wrong" went off. Slowing his walk, the Uchiha heir scanned the area carefully, and was puzzled when he came up blank. Nothing around here was wrong – it was near Naruto's neighborhood, actually, and just as quiet as ever – Naruto!

Eyes widening, Sasuke dashed off in the direction of his friend's apartment, some sixth sense telling him he was needed, NOW.

It was quiet at the door. Frowning, Sasuke eased the door open, deciding to see if he could catch Naruto off guard. Hearing muttering from the living room, he slid stealthily through the kitchen, and peeked into the back room.

"What if I…what if I did _that_…then Kyuubi couldn't do anything, and everyone would be happy – I'd be gone at last…."

Naruto was staring just a little too intently at the kunai clutched tightly in his right hand, eyes wide and blank.

Sasuke was frozen in place, horrified at what he was seeing. Naruto still hadn't noticed him, and continued talking to himself.

"Yeah – everyone would be happier…no one cares that much. No one cares enough to see, to ask…they never have. Never will…what's left then? Just the emptiness…." Raising his left hand, Naruto lightly drew the kunai across his already bloody palm, and watched entranced as it healed.

Sasuke was about to jump across the room and grab Naruto, but stopped himself at the last second. Would that really be the best thing? Naruto might break completely, knowing his façade was up…and Sasuke still didn't know what would heal his friend. Horrifying as this scene had been, he felt that Naruto had handed him the key, but he needed time to figure it out.

Slipping back to the entryway, he opened and closed the door loudly, calling out, "Naruto! You home?" in a loud voice, as if he had just walked in. He could just barely make out Naruto's gasp, and he walked quickly across the kitchen.

Sasuke kept his features unreadable only because he had years of practice in doing so. Instead of letting his horror and fear for his friend show on his face, he merely frowned at Naruto's bloody hand and the bloody kunai. "What are you doing, dobe?"

"N-nothing!" Naruto only stumbled a little over the lie. "I accidentally cut myself when I was reaching for it." He gestured to the shelf above him. His eyes weren't quite right yet, but most of the mask was back in place, and Sasuke had the feeling that he had done the right thing, for now.

_But I have to do something quickly_!_ He's worse than I thought…but what? What is it that he needs?_ Outwardly, Sasuke let none of his desperately whirling thoughts show. "Hn. Why don't you come back to my place while I shower and change, and then I'll take you out for ramen."

"Really? Ramen?" Naruto brightened at that, and Sasuke took some satisfaction in the thought that at least part of the cheer was genuine. He nodded. "Yay! Sasuke's buying me ramen!"

"Put on normal clothes, dobe."

Naruto hesitated at that, but nodded. Months of staying in the village when Sasuke asked, instead of going out on more missions, had become too much of a habit to break now.

Twenty minutes later, they were back in Sasuke's apartment, and Naruto was happily poking through a copy of Sasuke's mission report while the dark-haired teen had his much-needed shower. The nap, he had decided, could wait until Naruto was well enough to be left alone.

_What can I do to fix this whole thing…there must be something in what he said back there…_Sasuke let the hot water seep into his midnight hair.

_'No one cares that much…'_

Sasuke slammed a fist against the wall. _**I** care_!_ Dobe – I care, can't you see that? I'm trying to show you…but that's not enough, is it? You need to be- to be _told_, up front and honest. You won't believe it otherwise._

Sasuke swallowed, the answer now incredibly obvious.

_I have to tell him. _

_I have to tell him that I…love him. _Sasuke admitted the words in his own head for the first time. _I have to tell him that I love him and am here for him and want to be with him always. And somehow I have to make him believe it_!

But panic rose in his stomach at the thought of actually trying to say those words to Naruto. He hadn't said that – hell, hadn't _felt_ that – since that terrible day all those years ago, and it scared him.

_Coward_!Sasuke sneered at himself, but the fear refused to subside. He took a deep breath. _Well, one thing at a time. Just get out and get him some ramen for now, and…well, I can work on how to tell him later._

That decided, Sasuke stepped out of the shower and dried off.

He spent the whole walk to the Ichiraku glaring at anyone and everyone around them who looked like they might even be _thinking_ about Naruto in a bad way. He walked next to the blond teen, and close enough to let anyone watching know that he considered the blond to be under his protection. Naruto prattled on, seemingly oblivious, but Sasuke saw something like relief in the blue eyes when they reached the ramen bar, and the whiskered teen's thanks were a little too emphatic for just a few bowls of ramen.

_He sees and hears more than people think. _Sasuke had long known that his friend and teammate was not as dumb as he acted, but for Naruto's sake, Sasuke almost wished that he were. _It would have been easier if you really were oblivious, instead of just faking it…._

Sasuke shook his head slightly, dragging Naruto back to his own apartment as soon as they were done, and extracting from the shorter teen a promise that they would train together the next day.

Satisfied that Naruto was temporarily better, Sasuke headed back to his place and went straight to bed, determined to sleep in spite of his whirling thoughts.

_How do I tell him? What if he doesn't feel the same? Will that matter? I just don't know…don't have the words. I've never been good with words. And now, the most important thing I've ever needed to say, and I _can't_…._

Sasuke was too tired too stay awake though, and he was soon asleep in spite of his troubled thoughts.

* * *

"Ah, there you two are! Do you know how long I've been looking for you, Naruto? You're so troublesome all the time." 

"Eheheh. Sorry, Shikamaru, we were out training. What did you need me for?"

The laziest jounin in Konoha came to a stop in front of Sasuke and Naruto. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ino told me to find you – she says we all have to come to a karaoke party two nights from now. You know the place, Naruto?"

"Yeah! All right! I haven't done karaoke in ages!" The hyperactive teen began dancing around. "Isn't that great, Sasuke?"

"Hn." Was the only reply the Uchiha gave, but Shikamaru noticed that there was a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Karaoke, karaoke!" Naruto chanted, still dancing.

Shikamaru thought that Naruto's cheer and energy were more forced than ever, and frowned. He'd known for some time that the younger boy wasn't okay, but didn't have any idea what was wrong or what to do about it.

"You'll wake up the neighborhood, dobe," Sasuke pointed out. Naruto fell silent a bit too abruptly, but nodded with a grin still plastered across his face.

"Well, then, I'd better go rest up, ne? See you tomorrow, Sasuke! See you at karaoke, Shikamaru!"

"Aa, sure," Shikamaru replied, waving half-heartedly after Naruto. He was about to turn and go his own way when he caught a glimpse of Sasuke's face.

The dark-haired shinobi was just as impassive as ever as he watched Naruto disappear into the growing twilight. Just as impassive as ever – except for his eyes. Shikamaru raised his eyebrows, surprised, at the look in those midnight eyes, and came to a very quick and unexpected conclusion.

Uchiha Sasuke was deeply, quietly, desperately in love with Uzumaki Naruto.

_In retrospect, I suppose it's not that surprising,_ Shikamaru thought as he hid his surprise, nodded to the other and walked away. _He's never been interested in girls, and Naruto always seemed to be the only one he'd respond to at all…._

Thinking of Naruto's growing and deeply hidden pain, Shikamaru frowned again. _I don't like Sasuke, but if he can help Naruto, then…well, I won't let my grudge get in the way. He's probably the only one who _can_ help Naruto anyway. _

Then Shikamaru pushed all such troublesome thoughts aside, and concentrated on finding his annoying blonde teammate to tell her that the others knew of the party, at which point she would hopefully let him go home.


	5. V

AN: I'm glad everyone has liked the story so much! This is the final chapter, so I hope it lives up to expectations. It's a short fic, I know, but I only have so much time to write. Plus, I didn't want to write a story that just dragged on and on.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama, in all his greatness, is creator and owner of Naruto.

Warnings: angst, OOCNESS AND SAP. I _did _warn you at the beginning - hope you remembered those toothbrushes.

V.

Sasuke got to his appointed meeting place with Naruto, and sighed on seeing that the dobe wasn't there yet. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a convenient wall, doing his best to ignore the looks he was getting.

_Argh…why the hell did I even agree to this in the first place? I refuse to sing in front of people_!_ And this whole 'you have to look nice' thing is just getting me ogled even more than usual…_Sasuke growled inaudibly to himself, and hunched a little further into the wall.

He was wearing long, slightly baggy white pants, and a form fitting black tank top. He'd left his hitai-ate at home, and replaced the bandages on his forearms with tight blue arm protectors. Over all of this he wore what he could only call a sleeveless trenchcoat, in the same royal blue as the arm bands, with the Uchiha fan on the back and a slightly up turned collar. It fastened with two small silver clasps near his navel and fell to mid-calf.

"Wow, so being made a Chuunin really _did_ give you a better fashion sense!" Sasuke looked up to glare at Naruto, but stopped, staring.

Naruto was wearing very baggy black cargo pants, a dark blue tank-top with an orange spiral blazoned across the front, and over that a loose, black, short-sleeved shirt. His hitai-ate had been replaced with a band of blue cloth, orange arm bands covered his wrists, and he was grinning appreciatively at Sasuke, seeming pleased with himself.

Quickly, Sasuke tore his eyes away from his friend, pushing thoughts of "Damn, he's hot!" out of his mind. "Hn. Let's just go and get this over with." Naruto rolled his sky blue eyes in exasperation before tugging Sasuke's hand to get him moving, then walking away.

Fortunately, it was getting dark, so Sasuke didn't have to put up with quite as many stares as he'd worried about. They reached the karaoke joint about the same time as everyone else, and were immediately pulled into the large, noisy group. Ino looked like she would dearly have loved to jump him right then and there, but he glared and she restrained herself.

Naruto slipped quickly into his role as the loud center-of-attention, and lead the way inside, trailed by the other eight Konoha ninja who had first taken the Chuunin exams together, all those years ago.

It was weird being with everyone like this again, Sasuke realized as they sprawled over a couple of tables right in the middle of the room. It wasn't a large place, but seemed to have a decent sound system, and an actual stage with lighting. Small, but sophisticated.

Sasuke stuck close to Naruto, snagging a chair on one side of his loud friend, while Shikamaru took the other. Neji, Hinata, Kiba and Shino huddled together at a table nearby, while Ino joined Lee and Sakura off to their right, though Sasuke could tell she had wanted to sit with him. He had been a bit surprised to see Lee and Sakura together, but decided that they made a good couple. Inwardly, he was glad that his other teammate seemed to have gotten over her obsession with him. He had never hated her, but her constant unwanted attentions had been very annoying.

"So! Who's up first?" Ino asked, facing them all, fists planted firmly on her hips, her face determined.

"Me, me!" Naruto immediately jumped up. "Kiba, Fuzzy Eyebrows! Come on!" Ino just sighed and rolled her eyes, apparently knowing better than to get in Naruto's way. The two other guys stood up eagerly, to Sasuke's surprise, and were soon joined on the stage by Naruto. Their music came on, and the three put on a good show, jumping around to the catchy music, playing air guitar, and singing loudly. Sasuke hadn't realized Naruto had such a good singing voice. He was secretly disappointed when the song ended and Naruto stopped singing, but was careful not to let that show.

Almost everyone took turns onstage. They even got Hinata up twice, much to Sasuke's shock; she sang one duet with Neji, and another with Sakura, at the girl's gentle urging. She was looking particularly pretty tonight, wearing a light blue dress, and Sasuke noted that Kiba's eyes almost never left her. He almost smirked, then realized that he was probably doing something similar with Naruto and sighed.

And he did watch Naruto carefully. At first, the blond teen was fine and truly seemed to be having a good time. But as the night went on, Sasuke saw the happiness and energy drain away, until only a thin shell was left on the surface. He saw the looks and glares the other customers shot his friend, no matter how well Naruto sang. He heard the soft hisses, the ever-present whispers. He saw that the others, except Shikamaru, did not really talk with Naruto – he was readily accepted into their group, and at the same time was not truly a part of it. Naruto sang less and less as his energy diminished, and finally he was only sitting at the table, putting on a good show of cheering for everyone else, but with the emptiness creeping steadily back into his brilliant blue eyes.

Sasuke felt a sick, cold feeling rising in his stomach; panic at what he knew he had to do, laced with fear for Naruto. _I don't have the words_!_ I don't know how to tell him in a way that he will believe_!And still the pain and emptiness in blue eyes deepened…

Sasuke was about to stand and take Naruto away to train or eat ramen or _something_, when Ino waltzed over and tugged him out of his seat. Frowning, the dark-haired teen found himself being dragged unceremoniously over to the counter where the books of songs were kept.

"Now, Sasuke-kun, what would you like me to sing?" Ino cooed ingratiatingly at him.

"Hn. I don't care." Sasuke kept his face and voice as blank as possible, even though inside he was raging against her hold.

The blonde girl pouted at him, clinging even more tightly to his arm, either not noticing or not caring that he stiffened even more at her touch. She scanned the list carefully. "Oh, I know! How about this one?" She pointed to the title of a popular love ballad.

"Whatever."

Apparently taking this as encouragement, she signed up to sing next, and skipped away to the stage, winking at him flirtatiously and whispering, "Watch me, Sasuke-kun!"

"Hn." Sasuke remained leaning against the counter, trying to calm his raging emotions. _I have to think clearly,_ he scolded himself, eyes unconsciously scanning the list in front of him. _I have to be calm and think clearly or I'll never-_

"Oi, Uchiha."

Sasuke just barely refrained from jumping. Shikamaru was standing next to him, eyeing him appraisingly.

"What?"

"Would you _do _something already? He's not looking good."

Sasuke stared. Shikamaru…_knew_? "Wha- how?"

The jounin rolled his eyes. "You're both so troublesome. I'm not blind you know! Now will you just do something?" And with that, he turned and walked back to the table.

Sasuke let it go, turning blindly back to the list. _But I do have to do something…I need to find the words…_

The words…

Onyx eyes caught the title of a song, and widened. He knew that song. He'd been listening to it for the past couple of months on the radio, and had actually liked it enough to learn it. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone else, but he did like to sing along with the radio sometimes, when he was alone and lonely in the evenings.

_And it says _everything_ I need to say to him…but…that would mean-_ He turned and faced the stage, where Ino was belting out the song she had chosen, fluttering her eyes in his direction when she saw that he had finally turned around.

Sasuke swallowed, not even seeing the blonde kunoichi. _That would mean getting up on stage and singing…in front of all these people. _

A sneer curling his mouth, the last of the Uchiha clan lowered his head. _But I can't…I'm too much of a coward…too _weak_…_

He raised his head when he felt eyes on him, and caught Naruto looking at him. Sasuke couldn't stop his own eyes widening at the depth of pain and emptiness that flashed briefly before his sight, before Naruto turned away.

He realized abruptly that Naruto's light was dying.

Midnight black eyes stared wide and unseeing as the room around him faded. All the lights disappeared, except for one…that one ray of sunshine that had always shone strongly for him, no matter what the darkness around them…and now _that _light was fading, dying as he watched, horrified and frozen.

_Weak…_

A heartbeat, echoing.

_Weak…_

Not red eyes staring, but blue.

_Weak…_

Another heartbeat.

_If I…_Sasuke stood in darkness, watching his sunshine slowly go out. _If I…cannot save him now…then I…truly am…_

**_Weak._**

Sasuke closed his eyes and opened them again quickly, his surroundings fading back into his awareness. He turned and requested the next song.

Ino finished her song and rejoined the others, basking in their applause, even forgetting for a moment to seek her crush's approval. So it wasn't until Sasuke was walking up the steps to the stage that anyone noticed him.

His entire group went silent with shock.

He was absolutely certain that his heartbeat had never sounded this loud before. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins, as though he were about to enter battle. He kept himself outwardly calm, walking to the microphone and picking it up as though he'd done this a million times before. _Is it even possible to feel like you're burning up and a solid piece of ice at the same time?_

He flicked his dark eyes once, almost imperceptibly, to Naruto, who was watching him with wide eyes, as were all the other shinobi of their group. Then he set his eyes straight ahead, building in his mind a picture of the only person he could ever truly love.

A spiky shock of golden hair…smooth, tanned skin…whiskered cheeks…eyes to rival the bluest summer sky he'd ever seen…a grin a mile wide…clear, bright laughter…beautiful…strong …

_My light, my healing, my peace. _

Then the music began, and Uchiha Sasuke took a deep breath and sang:

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please, to tame your wild, wild heart.  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief, and people can be so cold.  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore-

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart.  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone!

When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
You're caught in a one way street  
With the monsters in your head  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day-

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart.  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone!

Because there has always been heartache and pain  
And when it's over you'll breathe again,  
You'll breathe again.

When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please,  
To tame your wild, wild heart

Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart.  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone!

He did not dance or even move around. He stood very still, holding the microphone in both hands, staring straight ahead at the image only he could see. His voice, low tenor and baritone, and deep, dark eyes were more than expressive enough.

He sang his heart out, pouring all his emotion into this one song, trying desperately to tell what he had no other way to say.

Then, as the music faded and the cheers and screams of the audience began, Sasuke turned and looked Naruto straight in the eyes. Almost inaudibly, he whispered into the microphone, "Hope you were listening, dobe," and then he was gone in flash of smoke.

* * *

Naruto froze, eyes wide, staring at the empty stage as the room around him was rocked with the cheers and screams from all of Sasuke's now-even-more-obsessed-fans. 

He had watched intently, just as surprised as everyone else when Sasuke - of all people- got up to sing. He had felt the emotion in the song resonate through him, and had wondered who was lucky enough to have Sasuke sing to her like that – who Sasuke's precious person was.

And then- and then- Sasuke had turned to _him_. Not to Sakura, not to Ino, not to anyone else in the room, but to _him_. To Uzumaki Naruto.

_He- he was- singing that for me…all that emotion…that…was for _me! Vaguely letting his eyes drift over the rest of the room, Naruto realized that no one else had heard Sasuke's final whisper except for himself. If they had, they'd have been piling questions and (in the case of the girls) glares on him right now - not just squealing over how "wonderfully Sasuke-kun sang!"

Someone poked his shoulder. He looked over to find Shikamaru looking at him, one eyebrow raised questioningly. "Well, you gonna sit here staring at the stage all night, or what?"

Okay, so maybe one other person had noticed Sasuke's final words. And, apparently, it did not bother him in the slightest. Still stunned, Naruto nodded and stood, winding his way out through the excited crowd. No one even glanced twice at him.

The blond teen almost stumbled out onto the dark, quiet streets of Konoha, head reeling from the sudden flood of questions and emotions that Sasuke's unexpected song had brought.

_Why? _His most pressing question. _Why would Sasuke do something like that – for _me_? I know he didn't even want to _come _tonight – I only made him because he needs to get out more - much less actually _sing _in front of all those people. So…when did he…when did he decide to do that? And why?_

Naruto let his feet walk in whatever direction they pleased - it was late and the streets were cool and empty. _If he meant it_..._ he must have_!_ Even before he turned to me, he sang so sincerely, had so much feeling. It sounded as though he were singing to someone that he loved – loved very much. And if that was to me…is that how he feels? Could_ Sasuke_ love _me?

That sent Naruto's thoughts spinning off in whole new direction, this time laced with a touch of fear. _Oh gods...if he does ...can I trust him? He did run away before, betrayed me and the village...though he has come back. But, even if I can trust him - could I deal with losing him? I've never had anyone care about me before - not on that level. I've dealt without it until now, because I've never known it, but...to gain love suddenly, only to lose it again? Even if he doesn't betray me, we're both ninja, and I could easily lose him to a mission or another war...I'm not sure I could deal with that..._

He took large breaths of the cool night air, in and out, in and out, trying to calm his raging thoughts. _Okay, calm down, baka. He might not have meant it that way at all. He might have just been trying to say that, as a friend, he's here for me._

That thought gave Naruto pause, and he stopped, the street he was on filling with silver light as the moon drifted out from behind the clouds. _Yes – yes, he _is _here for me. In the beginning…at the bridge, in the Chuunin exams…and now, all these months that he's been back…he has _been there_ for me. Even if it was only for sparring or something like that, he'd come around nearly every day, almost like he was checking on me. All his missions - he always comes to see me first thing when he gets back._ Naruto started walking again, his steps slower this time, calmer.

It suddenly struck him as odd that the idea of Sasuke loving him _wasn't _odd. Naruto hadn't ever really stopped to think about his own feelings for the dark-haired shinobi before – they'd been so complicated for so long – just knew that Sasuke was one of (if not _the_) most important people in his life.

_I hated him at first, and we were always rivals. But, somewhere along the way, we got to be friends too, and I'd wondered if that was what having a brother might be like. But then he left, and betrayed us – betrayed me, most of all. It hurt so much – to have him call me the person he cared most about, and then try to kill me. And so I spent the next three years dealing with the hurt, the anger, and the guilt. The guilt was the worst – because it was partly my fault that I couldn't bring him back. But mostly because I…_Naruto shut his eyes as the familiar shame surged up. _I had forgiven him. I had _already _forgiven him, long before he came back…I couldn't hate him, forget him, or let him go. Is that love?_

_And then he came back, and apologized, and has been here for me ever since…and I forgave him more with each passing day. Now, the days I don't see him are so empty…the feelings I get when he's near... _Many, many things were slowly clicking into place. All those odd thoughts, stray feelings and scraps of half-remembered dreams...Naruto stilled his wandering feet again. _I need to see him, talk to him…I have to ask him what he really meant._

Knowing abruptly that Sasuke was out at the training grounds (more evidence of a bond deeper than he'd realized), Naruto turned irresolute feet in that direction, walking even more slowly than before.

_What if he doesn't want to talk? What if he's regretting it? What if that wasn't what he meant at all?_ Doubt coiled in Naruto's stomach, and he struggled to push it aside.

_Heh, I really am a dobe. He meant what he sang – and as for the rest, I'll just have to ask and hope that he wants to talk to me. And if he _was _trying to say what I think he was…if he _does _love me…then…well…._

Naruto stopped once more. Tilting his head up to the bright light of the nearly-full moon, he felt a gentle breeze sweep through the street, ruffling his hair. Closing his eyes, he let the wind sweep away his doubts.

Then, hesitation gone, he took off for the training grounds.

* * *

Sasuke kicked the log with all his might, well aware that he was ruining his pants and not caring in the slightest. Abruptly bored of the repetitive kicking, he flipped backwards, avoiding the coat he had dropped when he first got there. That had been…well, he didn't really know how long it had been. Quite a while ago. 

He pretended the log was an enemy, darting in to strike with blows real and feinted, before darting away again, pushing the limits of his speed and agility. He poured all his concentration into the training, refusing to think about earlier, refusing to think about what Naruto's reaction might be.

Naruto – who was now standing behind him at the edge of the clearing.

Sasuke stopped abruptly, still facing the log, and took a moment to calm his gasping breath before turning hesitantly and walking over to face the other shinobi, who was standing in the shadow of the trees, head bowed. He stopped a few feet away, and waited.

Only a moment of silence passed between them before Naruto raised his head to look at Sasuke, his sky blue eyes searching.

"Why?"

The word was barely more than a breath, full of some emotion that Sasuke couldn't name.

"Because I had no words of my own. Because I needed to tell you that I'm _here_; I see you, I care about you. I acknowledge you. Because-" Sasuke paused, and took the deepest breath of his entire life. "I love you."

Naruto drew in a sharp breath and closed his eyes; something that Sasuke thought was pain flashed across his face.

"Naruto?"

"Do you know that, in the seventeen years of my life, no one has _ever _said that to me before?"

Sasuke stared. "No one? Not even Iruka-sensei, or-"

"No one. Not once. Until now." Naruto opened his eyes again. He took one step forward, out into the moonlight. His eyes held Sasuke's, probing, looking for something. Sasuke gazed back openly; for once not trying to hide anything…for once not wanting to. He wanted Naruto to see that he meant every word he said, that his love was real. Naruto's eyes were just as open as his own; they faced each other now with all masks stripped completely away.

Naruto slowly bent his head, hands clenching into fists at his sides. After a long moment of silence, he spoke softly.

"I won't lie to you, Sasuke. I'm scared – scared of gaining something I've longed for all my life only to lose it again." Sasuke could well understand that fear; it was what had kept him silent for so long. He nodded, but said nothing.

Naruto went on, voice still low and quiet. "I almost lost you once – and I'm not sure what losing you a second time would do to me. But," he stopped, and let out a breath that might have been a laugh. "But, Sasuke, I think that if I denied this now – denied you and denied how I feel, then that _would _be losing you a second time. And so, whatever comes of it, I can't do that."

He looked up, face lit with the most brilliant smile of his life.

Sasuke forgot how to breathe.

"Uchiha Sasuke – I love you."

He had never moved so fast as he closed the short distance between them to pull Naruto into his arms. Naruto hugged him back just as hard, tilting his head up slightly to receive Sasuke's soft kiss.

The dark-haired teen pulled away, whispering happily, "Your light is back!" He cut off Naruto's confused "Eh?" with a more heated kiss, and the blond let it go.

Sometime later their kiss ended, but they stayed close, foreheads touching. Remembering an incident from shortly after his return, Sasuke whispered, "Okaeri, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened and a happy, genuine grin lit up his face. "Tadaima!"

They stood in the moonlight for a long time, just holding onto each other, knowing that they'd never have to be alone again.

_Now that I've found you, I won't ever let you go. I love you. Tadaima._

Owari.

AN: Well...there you have it. Apologies for any cliche/OOCness, and for the extreme sap. Thank you all very much for the reviews!

I'll soon be posting the Omake Epilogues for this story - which involve lots of humor as a counter for the angst and sap. I hope to see you all there!

Sayonara, mina-san!


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